The present disclosure relates to a wheel suspension, such as a rear suspension of a motor vehicle. The wheel suspension includes a suspension arm supported on a linkage point on a car body of the motor vehicle. A transverse leaf spring is arranged along a transverse axis of the motor vehicle and is coupled at an end of the transverse leaf spring with the wheel suspension. The transverse leaf spring is supported via a bearing on the car body.
Wheel suspensions of motor vehicles are known from the state of the art, in which transverse leaf springs are linked directly to a stub axle or a lower suspension arm. The transverse leaf springs are either linked directly to the respective components or are connected with the respective components via connecting rods. In such conventional wheel suspensions, the transverse leaf spring in this chassis is partly not only used for damping the chassis but also assumes the task of a stabilizer.
In such conventional wheel suspensions, the compression of a wheel leads to a respective deflection of the transverse leaf spring arranged along a transverse axis of the motor vehicle. This deflection of the transverse leaf spring leads to a very high load on the bearings with which the transverse leaf spring is fastened to the car body or on an auxiliary frame of the motor vehicle which is connected with the car body. In this case, a rotation of the transverse leaf spring occurs in the bearing on the one hand, and the transverse leaf spring is also displaced along the transverse axis of the motor vehicle on the other hand, so that it is also necessary to consider a translatory movement of the transverse leaf spring in the construction of a respective bearing for bearing the transverse leaf spring on the stub axle.
Respective solutions for such a bearing are known, for example, from DE 42 01 180 A 1, in which the bearing is rotationally mounted itself and the translation of the transverse leaf spring along the transverse axis of the vehicle is realized by bearing rubbers. As a result of the possibilities for movement to be considered for the transverse leaf springs, such bearings need to be arranged in a relatively complex manner as compared with simple bearing clamps. Moreover, it is also necessary to consider that a large amount of space is needed in the overall construction of the respective axle as a result of the strong spring deflection of the transverse leaf spring which is produced in the known wheel suspension constructions by the compression of a wheel.
However, the present disclosure provides for a wheel suspension, for example, in which the linkage of the ends of the transverse leaf spring allows maintaining the overall space of the transverse leaf spring and simultaneously enables a simpler bearing of the transverse leaf spring.
Thus, the present disclosure relates to a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle. The wheel suspension includes a suspension arm supported on a linkage point on a car body of the motor vehicle. A transverse leaf spring is arranged along a transverse axis of the motor vehicle and is coupled at an end of the transverse leaf spring with the wheel suspension. The transverse leaf spring is supported via a bearing on the car body. An end of the transverse leaf spring is coupled in an articulated manner with the suspension arm and spaced apart from a wheel-side end of the suspension arm.
In accordance with the present disclosure, the wheel suspension is arranged with an upper suspension arm which is supported on a linkage point on the car body or an auxiliary frame of the motor vehicle. The wheel suspension also includes a transverse leaf spring which is arranged along a transverse axis of the vehicle and is coupled at its ends with the respective wheel suspension and is supported by respective bearings on the car body or an auxiliary frame of the motor vehicle in such a way that each of the ends of the transverse leaf spring is coupled in an articulated manner to the upper suspension arm of the wheel suspension spaced from the wheel-side end of the suspension arm.
By coupling the transverse leaf spring to the upper suspension arm, an arrangement of the spring beneath the suspension arm is enabled, which occurs in a manner in which no torque is generated around the transverse axis of the motor vehicle in the case of the transmission of power as a result of a compression of a wheel.
Embodiments, including advantages of the embodiments, according to the present disclosure, are discussed herein and in the appended claims.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the wheel suspension of the present disclosure, the ends of the transverse leaf spring are mounted in an articulated manner on a connecting rod mounted in an articulated manner on the upper suspension arm. It is ensured, as a result of this kind of linkage of the transverse leaf spring on the upper suspension arm, that the length of stroke of a wheel or stub axle is not transmitted to the spring to the same extent. The position of the linkage of the transverse leaf spring on the upper suspension arm leads to a transmission ratio between the stroke of the wheel and the stroke of the transverse leaf spring which results in a lower deflection of the transverse leaf spring during the compression of a wheel.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the wheel suspension of the present disclosure, the connecting rod is centrally mounted on the upper suspension arm along the transverse axis of the motor vehicle. By arranging the connecting rod at this position of the upper suspension arm, the stroke of the transverse spring in relation to the stroke of the wheel or stub axle can be reduced to half the value. The lower deflection of the transverse leaf spring advantageously also reduces the overall need for space of the transverse leaf spring within the wheel suspension.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the wheel suspension in accordance with the present disclosure, the connecting rod is arranged to be H-shaped in its cross-section, with the upper suspension arm being pivotably mounted in the upper opening of the H and the transverse leaf spring being pivotably mounted in the bottom opening of the H. This reduces the rotation of the transverse leaf spring in the spring bearing, so that a simply arranged bearing, for example, a rubber bearing or a rubber-metal bearing, can be used in order to connect the individual components with one another.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.